Gateway home
by normi
Summary: Set 2 months after the end of FreeSpace 2. The GTVA is building their own subspace portal and the Vasudans have a little surprise cooking.


Disclaimer:FreeSpace 2 is the property of Volition Inc.

Author's notes:This is my first fic, so go easy on the boy, okay?

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_Time:14:26 Terran time_

_Location:Vega system_

A GTT Argo is heading for the Bloodhound, a Hecate class destroyer. The transport is carrying several pilots for the Bloodhound's first squadron. A young boy, about 20 years old, is watching the destroyer from the transport's bridge. The boy has short, dark brown hair, spiked in nearly all possible directions and green eyes. Despite his young age, he has a scar running through his left eyebrow and down along the cheek. The pilot of the transport turns to him and says:

_"Lieutenant, we'll be docking soon. You should go back to your squadron."_

The boy nods and leaves the bridge. As the ship docks, the pilots step on board their new home. They are approached by a man in his early fifties.

_"Welcome to the GTD Bloodhound. I am commodore Jackson. You are the ship's first squadron, the 93rd Paladins. The first command briefing will begin in one hour, so you'll have enough time to settle in. Dismissed."_

The boy walked over to his quarters and read his name on a sign on the door.

_"Junior lieutenant Norman "Phoenix" McLennon"_

A faint smile crossed Phoenix's face as he walked into his so-called room. Every wall was gray and the four bunk beds looked like they weren't very comfortable. Phoenix stuffed his few belongings to the drawer under his bed, as his best friend walked in.

_"Hey, Phoenix. What's up?" _

_"Morning, Jonah."_

Jonah looked around, like there was something special about this room.

_"Nice place you got here."_

Phoenix let another faint smile cross his face. He turned to his friend and said:

_"Did you meet the rest of the squad?" _

_"Yeah. We're lucky, man. There's this really cute asian girl in our wing."_

Phoenix noticed the look on his friend's face and laughed.

_"Don't tell me you're falling in love again. Remember the last time?"_

Both pilots burts out laughing. Jonah took Phoenix to meet the rest of his new squadron. Most of them were around 25-30 years of age. The asian girl soon caught his eye. Jonah noticed it and said:

_"Dream on, man. She's mine."_

Phoenix let out a smile and turned to his squadmates. However, he didn't get a chance to say anything, because the command briefing was about to start. Everyone made their way to the briefing room and took their seats. Commodore Jackson walked in and started the briefing.

_"Paladins, get ready for your first briefing aboard the Bloodhound. Since the destruction of the Capella star 2 months ago, things have been quiet. So i really don't see any reason to create new squadrons and start constructing new destroyers. However, the GTVA command seems to think that these two things are important. So, here you are. Since most of you are already experienced pilots, you are cleared to fly any fighter and bomber we have. Also you can use any weapon we have. Provided that your ship can carry it. The GTVA has started the construction of our own subspace portal in Delta Serpentis. I hope all of you know, what the portal is for. Mina Hargrove and her team declared, that with the Ancient technology we have, the portal will be finished in about ten years. Now let's get on with your first mission briefing. You are to attack a pirate cargo depot at Omega. The depot is guarded by 8 Alastor sentry guns and 4 wings of fighters. None of the freighters can escape. We need all of the cargo for analasys. They may have our stolen weapon prototypes. Your primary objectives are to disable and disarm all the freighters in the system and to protect the cargo. Your secondary objectives are to eliminate the fighters and the sentry guns. After the depot is secure, command will send our freighters to pick up the cargo."_

Phoenix left the room and ran to the hangar. He called the nearest technician and said:

_"Give me a Perseus. Primaries are the Kayser and the Subach. Secondaries would be a bank of Harpoons and another bank of Harpoons."_

Phoenix got into his favorite fighter, sealed his helmet and powered up all of his ride's systems. The fighter was launched and Phoenix quickly turned to see the rest of his squadron leaving the Bloodhound.

_"Okay, people. Get ready to kick some ass."_

The fighters jumped to Omega and Phoenix saw the depot. He also saw the 8 Erinyes fighters coming straight at them.

_"Beta and Delta, disable the freighters. Alpha, engage the fighters."_

As the first missle lock warnings came up, Phoenix engaged his afterburners and pushed his joystick forward, releasing countermeasures. He pulled up and opened fire. The Kaysers quickly ate their way through the Erinyes' shields and hull, destroying it. Another Erinyes sent a few Tempest missles at Phoenix, draining his left shield. Phoenix set his speed to max, turned towards the Erinyes, locked on a pair of Harpoons and let it rip. The missles found their way through the fighter's shields and Phoenix finished the job with his Kaysers. Then, his friend's face came up.

_"I could use some cover over here!"_

Phoenix engaged his afterburners and fired at the Erinyes that was on Jonah's tail. The fighter turned and was immediately destroyed. Phoenix opened a channel to Alpha 4.

_"That was my kill!"_

The face of the young asian pilot popped up and a sweet voice said:

_"Sorry. I didn't notice your name on it. My mistake."_

Phoenix sighed and took out another Erinyes behind the asian pilot. He then steered his Perseus to face the freighters, forgot that he didn't take the SDG with him and opened fire with his Kaysers, disabling the freighter's engines and severely damaging its hull. By then, all of the sentry guns were taken out. The fighters were all gone, the freighters were disabled and the depot was secure. Phoenix was just opening a comm channel to every fighter, when a huge beam barely hit his fighter, taking the hull integrity down to 52 percent and creating a nice cut onto the pilot's forehead. Phoenix was shocked, when he turned his hurt Perseus to face his attacker, a Sathanas. He quickly commed all wings.

_"Abort! Get back to the Bloodhound now!"_

He then opened a channel to command.

_"Cancel the freighters! A Sathanas jumped in!"_

Phoenix engaged the subspace drive and jumped back to the Bloodhound. When he was landing his fighter, he got a feel of the damage that a 48 percent drop in hull integrity can do-the Perseus' controls were incredibly sluggish. He managed to get the fighter down safely. Phoenix immediately ran to the med section and had his head patched up. He then went to the debriefing. Commodore Jackson was just starting his speech.

_"Command has suggested, that the Sathanas you met, was one of the juggernauts that jumped out of Capella before it went supernova. Due to the bad timing of the shivans, we lost the depot. The Sathanas got all of the cargo and they're probably examining it right now. I'm just glad to see you all back here."_

Phoenix went back to his quarters and sat down onto one of the bunks. Soon after, someone was knocking on the door.

_"Come in."_

The young asian pilot came in and stood in front of Phoenix. Phoenix just glared at her.

_"And you might be...?"_

_"I'm Lynette. Lynette Arrows."_

_"Nice name. What did you want?"_

_"I just wanted to see, if you're alright."_

_"A little bruised, but alive. And you? Did the shivans get you?"_

Lynette let off a slight smile.

_"Nope. They missed me."_

Phoenix smiled and asked her to leave. After Lynette shut the door, Phoenix lied down onto his bunk and fell asleep.

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So? How was it? This thing is far from finished. I'll write the next chapters when my mind is working again.


End file.
